Volume 4: Hidden Struggles, Chapter 108: My Eldest Brother’s Visit

Chu Tianyu listened to the phone call with a serious expression before falling into deep thought without saying a word. During the call, he only responded with “Mm…” and “Yes…”, giving the impression that something unusual was about to happen.
“What’s the matter?” Ouyang Ziyi asked without hesitation. She had already heard Chu Tianyu talk about Bai Lei before, knowing that he, like Chu Tianyu, had extraordinary experiences—only his methods of hiding them were different!
Chu Tianyu was afraid of drawing attention, while Bai Lei was afraid of not drawing attention, but both ended up with the same result: no one paid attention!
However, things began to change after Chu Tianyu returned from Hong Kong, especially after being possessed by the Black Dragon…
Chu Tianyu raised his head and slowly said, “My eldest brother is arriving in Beijing by plane at 8 p.m. tomorrow. Ziyi, go with me to pick him up! Oh, Lan Yue, you haven’t finished what you were saying!”
With doubts in her heart, Ouyang Ziyi knew things couldn’t be that simple, but since Chu Tianyu wouldn’t explain, she couldn’t press further. She followed his suggestion and turned her attention back to Lan Yue.
“Oh, oh, such an unusually large volume of sales isn’t only rare over the years but also completely unreasonable. All the transactions are one-sided sell-offs. Although the values are underestimated and the prices are suppressed low, our selling speed still can’t keep up with such heavy buying, so we’re already overwhelmed!” Lan Yue explained.
“Who’s selling them? Is it widespread, or concentrated in a few places?” Ouyang Ziyi asked calmly.
“It seems to be widespread. We originally had records of who owned many of these treasures. This time, some of them came directly to sell, while others entrusted others to do it instead of showing up themselves, but we basically have an idea of who they are!”
“With such a big deal, why did your uncle send only you? What about your cousins?” Ouyang Ziyi wondered.
“Dad flew to Europe to contact several major conglomerates and buyers. My eldest and second brothers are also dealing with bank credit arrangements and stabilizing the market. So, the task of coming to Beijing fell on me. Hah, it’s just voluntary work. I just need to verify the situation here and report it to my brothers. The actual details aren’t my concern!” Lan Yue said with a smirk.
“That’s right! We’ll do our thing. If you run out of money, just come to me!” Bai Lei quickly stepped in to claim credit.

Chu Tianyu was firmly convinced of this—that kid definitely had a considerable amount of money at his disposal! But Lan Yue glanced at Bai Lei and snorted, “This isn’t some few hundred million as pocket money. Why act all big here? Just go where it’s cooler!”
“Damn, it’s cool on the streets. I’ve been there before! What am I afraid of? It’s just that my woman wants some money now. If I, as a man, don’t show some generosity, won’t you look down on me?”
“Shut up. What ‘your woman’…”
“Should I say ‘my lover’…”
“Die…”
…
Ignoring the bickering between those two, Chu Tianyu and Ouyang Ziyi exchanged a look. Both of them were highly intelligent. There was only one explanation for Lan Yue’s situation: many people were cashing out and pulling back their funds, and those who could afford such antiques and treasures were, without a doubt, from the wealthy class. In other words, it was the rich people who were cashing out!
For so many wealthy individuals to gradually withdraw their funds, it couldn’t possibly be for trivial reasons like spending all their money on hiring a celebrity. It was definitely because there was a problem with their businesses!
Chu Tianyu knew even better that his elder brother’s sudden arrival, claiming to have important matters to discuss, was likely closely related to Lan Yue’s situation.
After dinner, needless to say, Bai Lei rushed to propose taking Lan Yue to Beijing. Chu Tianyu wanted to warn them to be careful, but just as he was about to speak, he remembered Lan Yue’s combat skills and ruthless tactics from that restaurant encounter. Sigh, he was overthinking it. It was already great if they didn’t provoke anyone!
“Tianyu, could your elder brother’s visit be related to what Lan Yue mentioned?” Ouyang Ziyi asked calmly after they left.
“Mm, I think so!” Chu Tianyu then shared his thoughts and what his elder brother had said.
Ouyang Ziyi frowned, pondering as she said to herself, “Actually, I think Lan Yue’s family’s situation might just be a symptom. There could be much more we haven’t noticed. If it’s really as Lan Yue says, then the situation is terrifying. And there haven’t been any major fluctuations in the news recently, so it’s impossible to cause a severe shortage in capital chains! Could it be…”
“Some hidden force or super tycoon is disrupting the market?” Chu Tianyu replied decisively.

“It’s very likely! To put it simply, Lan Yue’s family is probably the latest clue that has surfaced. I think we should take precautions now! Otherwise, by the time everything is exposed or the truth comes to light, it will be too late to take action! Dad used to say that no matter what kind of trouble arises, we should step forward and trample on it hard, spit on it a few times, and if possible, cover it with layers of soil!” Ouyang Ziyi said imitating her father’s tone.

Chu Tianyu laughed upon hearing this. It sounded so familiar. He remembered Third Master saying something similar. Vaguely, he thought it was something like: “No matter how weak the enemy is, we must knock them to the ground without hesitation, kick them hard, and if possible, drive long nails into their coffins…”

“Tianyu, accompany me to meet someone tomorrow morning. Let’s discuss things with her; it might be very helpful for our preparedness!” Ouyang Ziyi said.

Chu Tianyu immediately understood and replied, “You mean that Sister Xin, right?”

“Hey? You’re quick to figure it out!” Ouyang Ziyi praised.

“Hehe, you’ve mentioned her to me so many times that I can’t possibly forget. Has she returned from abroad?” Chu Tianyu asked.

“She’s been back for a while. She said she wanted to meet you. If you hadn’t disappeared, I would have taken you there already!”

“By the way, Ziyi, what exactly is the relationship between Sister Xin and your father? You hinted at it to me last time…” Chu Tianyu asked.

“She’s Dad’s confidante. She remains devoted to him even now, living alone out of love. But Dad doesn’t have your ability. Though he’s affectionate, he only has theories and no real action! In short, he can only suppress his feelings and suffer the consequences…” Ouyang Ziyi said sadly.

Before Chu Tianyu could respond, Ouyang Ziyi suddenly looked up, her expression firm and her eyes shining. “So I won’t follow in their footsteps. No matter what societal norms or legal rules there are, I only know that as long as I feel happy, whatever I do isn’t too much!”

Chu Tianyu was speechless. He could only hold her in his arms out of affection. Neither of them spoke anymore. Their spiritual connection and shared emotions immersed them in this silent, warm embrace…

…

At the same time, in a high-end member tea house, the interior was simple in layout but exuded a serene and elegant atmosphere—ivory-colored floor-to-ceiling windows, light silver-colored bar counters, marble floors with distinct patterns…

Bai Lei was showing Lan Yue his tea ceremony skills, savoring the tea while nodding his head and saying, “When tasted carefully, this tea seems to bring to mind a gentle and beautiful water town in the Jiangnan region. Within it, Zhuangzi transforms into a butterfly, while the fragrant souls of beauties dance in the air. Swallowing it gently, one experiences its pure taste, clear color, and delicate fragrance that reaches straight to the heart. It’s an indescribably sweet and soothing experience. Even ordinary people can shed their pretenses and restlessness, forget about gains and losses, honor and disgrace, and achieve a state of peace. Truly, it’s such that the tea doesn’t intoxicate one—instead, one gets drunk on its own. What excellent tea! It truly lives up to being an authentic top-quality West Lake Longjing!”
He was so proud after saying that! This was the result of his hard work over ten days, memorizing the description from some website!
It was all because Lan Yue loved tea ceremonies. Her appearance also greatly pleased Bai Lei. He never expected Lan Yue, who seemed like a trendy girl, to have such a side—her duality really made him fall for her even more!
“Hey, kid, that tea is Tieguanyin, which belongs to black tea. The Longjing you mentioned is green tea. As for the water town in Jiangnan—there’s a huge difference between them!” A harsh foreign accent suddenly rang out at the moment Bai Lei was most proud.
Bai Lei became enraged. Glancing angrily, he saw a few people who didn’t seem Chinese passing by their table. One of them, a man with a long face, spoke up.
Before Bai Lei could explode, that man whistled lewdly at Lan Yue and said, “Oh, what a beautiful lady! Miss, by drinking tea with such vulgar people, you’re not only insulting yourself but also the spirit of tea ceremonies!”
Hearing this, Bai Lei was furious. He stood up, ready to kick the stool and charge forward, when suddenly a thunderous voice rang out, “Damn it, Fujiwara…” Followed by two loud slaps and the sound of Japanese birds!
Fujiwara, who had provoked them first, bent down and nodded, saying “Hai,” while taking hits.
It turned out that two elders and a middle-aged man came out from the private room. One of the elders and the middle-aged man seemed Chinese, while the other was the one who was scolding Fujiwara.
Now Bai Lei didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t just show off in front of the elders who were disciplining those Japanese people—let them fight among themselves!

But anger has to be vented. Taking advantage of the moment when Fujiwara was being reprimanded, as he glanced over inadvertently, Bai Lei promptly showed him a middle finger pointed straight up, while silently forming lips that clearly spelled out in international phonetics: “FUCK YOU!!!”